Footnote to Youth

By: Jose Garcia Villa

Who is Jose Garcia Villa?

José Garcia Villa was born on

August 5,1908 in Malate, Manila,
Philippines, one of six children of
Guia Garcia and Dr. Simeon Villa.
Villa began painting as a boy and
published his first story in the
Manila Times at the age of fifteen
 His father enrolled him in the College
of Medicine of the University of the
Philippines in 1925. He received his
associate in arts degree from the UP
College of Liberal Arts in 1927 and
transferred to the College of Law in
1928, simultaneously taking classes in
fine arts.
 In college, he became a
charter member of the
university’s Writers Club.
In his second year of law school, his
“Man-Songs” (written under the
pseudonym O. Sevilla; the pseudonym he
was to adopt later was Doveglion [Dove-
eagle-lion]) appeared in the Philippines
Herald and caused him to be suspended
from the club for a year because of his
“immoral” poems.
 With the prize of 1,000 pesos ($500)
he won in the Philippine Free Press
Contest for his short story “Mir-i-nisa,”
he immigrated to the United States in
1929, where he lived the rest of his
life, except for brief visits to the
Philippines.
 Summary of the
Footnote to Youth
 Dodong wanted to marry Teang
and asked his father's permission.
Thinking that since they are
young, their love would be short,
he allowed them to get married.
After nine months, Teang gave
birth to a child named Blas.
 For six consecutive years, a new child
came along. Teang did not complain even
though she secretly regretted being
married at an early age. Sometimes she
even wondered if she would have the
same life if Lucio, her other suitor who
was nine years older than Dodong, was
the one she married. Lucio has had no
children since the time he married.
When Teang and Dodong were twenty
they looked like they were fifty. When
Blas was 18, he told his father that he
would marry Tona
 Dodong did not - and could not - stop
Blas from marrying Tona. Therefore, he
didn't object. Instead, he just reminded
him that Blas is still very young and
might as well think twice before
rushing to marriage.
 It simply tells the story of an older
person who made a mistake in the
past who ended up with a not so
pleasurable life. Then he had a son
who is like him when he was young.
His son is hasty in making the decision
to get married, just like he was when
he was 17.
 But, as the ending goes:
"Youth must triumph... now. Love
must triumph... now. As long ago
did youth and love triumphed for
Dodong. And then... life.
1. Is the title suitable to the
story?
 Footnote to youth is the title of the story.
It is said that it is a footnote to youth because it is a brief
reminder for the Filipinos especially the youth of what a
real life could be today. It also indicates the sources or
the causes why youth act this way. Yes it is suitable to
the story because it gives a warning for those apathetic
youth that ones committed mistake because of their
stubbornness.
2. What is the predominant
element in the story- plot,
theme, character, and
setting?
 The predominant element on this story is the
character and the setting.
The setting has a great impact because the story
definitely empathizes the situations of a Filipino
person because most of us are at the poverty line
or below the poverty line.
 The characters had their own definite
description, their conversation is different from
one another, and they act as unique as their
personality, it enhances the story even more.
The act of the characters seems to bring up the
whole story.
 3. Who is the single main
character about whom the
story centers?
 The story centers at the character of Dodong.
Dodong is the one who represents the typical
youth that experiencing a lot of uncertainties in
life that make him realize that he sacrifice his
youth just for the sake of proving himself that he
can manage his own life because he is matured
enough to face this life’s challenges.
 4. What sort of conflict
confronts the leading character
or characters?
 Internal conflict confronts the leading character.
Man vs. himself because he was struggling if he
can managed himself to have a family because he
knows that he is in the legal age that he can be
independent and can definitely choose the right
from wrong. But because of his foolishness, he
had difficult time meeting the expectations that
he must achieve.
5. How is the conflict resolved?
It was not resolved at all because he just realized
that he was wrong for being stubborn and
foolish that he was not listening to his parents
about dealing with marriage, family and life after
marriage. And now that he has his own family,
he just accepts the fact that it already happens.
Also because of his unconditional love to Teang,
he did not lose the battle and give up. The story
just finished with realization and somehow
covering up things for the sake of his family.
 6. How does the author
handle the characterization?
 It is the mixture of all the methods which are
through description, conversation of each
character, and their actions. Footnote to youth
talks about the youth as of today. It make
possible to illustrate what a typical youth will be
in the story so as a result, the author really brings
out each individual through describing them one
by one.
And in this story it comes to pass. It
also embarks upon on how the
characters will converse to one
another and how they act in
accordance on how they stick to
their main beliefs.
 7. Who tells the story?
What point of view is used?
 The writer is the one responsible in letting know the
story of Footnote to Youth. The omniscient viewpoint is
used since a third person speaker who recognizes the
whole thing about all the characters is all-knowing. The
person who reads distinguishes about the impression
and feelings of all the characters in the piece. He knows
every detailed event that happens on Dodong’s life.
8. Where does the primary
action take place?
The primary action takes place on their farm land
especially on the field where the crops are
planted wherein the ground is broken up into
many fresh wounds and fragrant with a sweetish
earthly smell. It has many slender soft worms
emerged from the furrows and then burrowed
again deeper in the soil.
9. What is the time setting for
the action? Period of history?
Season? Time of the day?
 The time setting is almost the whole day
from the morning until evening. The period of
history on this story is on the 20th-21st century.
It is the time of planting season almost June to
August. There is no specific time of the day
because it happens almost the whole day.
 10. How much time does the
story cover?

The story covers from the day

that Dodong proposed to Teang until
they receive 7 children.
 11. How does the story
get started? What is the initial
incident?
 The story started when Dodong started
homeward or going home as fast as he can,
thinking on how he would break the news to his
father about wanting to marry Teang because
Dodong knows that he is seventeen and he is
legal and mature enough to have a family and
to face life. The initial incident is that when
Dodong already breaks the news to his father.
 12. Briefly describe the
rising action of the story?
 The rising action of the story of Footnote to
Youth is that when Dodong was afraid to go to
his home because he wanted to get out of it
without clear reason at all. He felt afraid that it
seems to caged him and also of Teang because
Teang was giving birth in the house.
 It was the first child of Teang and Dodong for
that matter. He began to wonder madly if the
process of childbirth was really painful. And
after that Dodong was feeling a little bit
embarrassment because he was ashamed to his
mother of his youthful paternity.
 13. What is the high
point or the climax of the story?
The highest point in the story is when Dodong
saw her wife in the bamboo bed or “papag”
with his firstborn child. He heard his baby’s cry
that pierced him queerly. He could not control
the swelling happiness in him. Then Dodong
wanted to touch the baby and give her a sense
of father’s touch.
14. What is the falling action
of the story?
 The falling action of the story is that he had 7
children all in all. And since the coming of the
children could not be helped, Dodong got angry
at himself sometimes. And these things came to
him as a realization. He wanted to ask questions
and somebody to answer him.
 And he realize that why Life did not fulfill
Youth’s entire dream. Dodong returned to
the house humiliated by him because he
has wanted to know a little wisdom but
was denied it.
15. Does this story create
any special mood?
 Yes. The sense of mercy and pity to Dodong
because he was suffering of life’s real
experiences. And he had no way to stop this and
because of this, he was embarrassed and
humiliated on what he had done because of his
eager to face life without any guarantee of
orienting himself about it.
We can also see the disappointment because
the youth of today is like Dodong who is
apathetic about the real score in life and
because they say that they are mature, close-
mindedness are being seen for this.
 Most of the youth today entered
early marriage because they cannot
escape from the consequences of
their acts. Acts of eagerness ,
curiosity, and selfishness.
 16. Is this story realistic
or true to life?

Yes, this story is true to life and all the youth

is experiencing this kind of trouble.
 17. Are the events or incidents
of the plot presented in flashback or
in chronological order?
 The events are presented in chronological order
from the time that Dodong proposed to Teang, to
breaking the news to his father, until marrying
Teang and having their first born, and lastly
having 7 children and realizing the fact that it is
hard to have a family with a very young age and
because of these things, his youth was sacrificed
and put at stake.
 18. Was the selection written
as a short story or is it a
condensation or excerpt?
Is it taken
from a collection of stories?

The selection is clearly written as a short

story. It is not taken from a collection of stories.
 19. What is the general
theme of the story? What
is the underlying theme?
 The general theme for this story is youth
must triumph now. Love must triumph now. As
long ago did youth and love triumph for Dodong
and then life. That life is not as easy as it should
be. Life is said to be simple but it is hard to
manage and hard to deal with.
20. Identify yourself with
any of the characters?
 I would like to identify myself with the father
of Dodong. Because as an educated person, I
know how life would bring me if I marry at the
young age. Life is really difficult and it is not an
easy task to deal with. Like me, parents know
more about this stuff because they already
experienced it.
 And I do empathize and sympathize with
his father. He wants only the best for his son.
And I, I want first to see the best in me so that
I could face the reality and do not suffer that
life will bring to me.
21. Does the story contain
any following elements?
 It has some incongruity because at the end of
the story, there is a situation wherein Teang was
put into spot about her realization although it
revolves about Dodong, the author place Teang’s
realization about her life with Dodong. It
attempts to inspire an improvement in society
rather than just tear down with criticism.
22. Was there a villain in the
story? A hero? A dynamic
character?
 There is a dynamic character in this story in the
person of the father of Dodong. He is the one that
made Dodong to think twice in his decisions
because his father knows what will happen if he
will pursue on marrying Teang. He is at first not
supportive to his son’s news but because he
wants him to learn about the life’s pros and cons,
he let his son to experienced it.
 23. Can you find any
examples of figurative
language?
 Personification is one of the figurative
speeches that are used for this story. And its
example: “A short colorless worm marched
blindly to Dodong’s foot…” Also it uses
hyperbole like for example: “youth must be
dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully sweet”
24. Does the story contain
a single effect or
impression for the reader?
 Yes. It simply tells the story of an older person
who made a mistake in the past who ended up
with a not so pleasurable life. Then he had a son
who is like him when he was young.
 His son is hasty in making the decision to
get married, just like he was when he was 17.
And it really applies to us Filipinos specially the
youth. It gives the impression to have a wise
choice in dealing with life.
25. Name one major personality trait
of each leading character, and tell
how the author makes
the reader conscious of its trait.
 One major personality trait of each leading
character is the uninterested when in comes to
reality of life. The author makes the reader
conscious about this through the way Dodong act
when he was married with Teang and when he
realized that it is difficult to be a father and to
have a family. They know that life is just sweet
and easy because they are living a simple life.
26. Does the story have a moral?
 Yes. We learned that having a family is really
hard to do and needs a lot of thinking before
pursuing to do it. Also, being aware and
conscious of the Filipinos in terms of our status
in life that it is not practical for a typical youth to
get married if they are not physically, financially,
emotionally, psychologically stable.
Furthermore, it is better for us to follow what our
parents think for us is best because our parents
really knows how life should be. They already
experienced these things and they don’t want us
to experience this kind of things. Finally, we must
have proper education about responsible
parenthood to avoid consequences when we
engaged to have a family.
 LIFE
is like an exam that
we have to pass.
It’s a multiple choice
to realize that we
always have options.
 A true or false that
we need to
distinguish between
right and wrong.
 A matching type,
deciding what is best
for us that match
with our skills and
passions.
 An identification to
understand that we
have our own identity
and uniqueness as an
individual.
 Most of all, life is an
essay and we are its
author. Its in our hands
to decide how our own
story runs…
Thank You…